Well then.
If you had asked me how the day was going to end, I wouldn’t have gone with ‘government supports One Nation on anti-white racism motion’, but it is 2018 and, really, nothing should surprise me anymore. But it does.
Because motions in this place don’t mean anything meaningful in policy/legislative terms. But they do matter in that they are a statement on what the parliament, the representative of the Australian people, believes.
There are all sorts of crazy motions put forward, all the time. Most of them don’t get the government’s support.
And yet this one did. That’s the issue here.
Pauline Hanson just managed to wedge the government into supporting a motion stating it’s okay to be white, publicly and on the record. For no other reason than politics. But what happens in this place has ramifications beyond its walls. It always has.
Watch those who already feel emboldened by this political climate to start talking about how the Senate just said it was NOT okay to be white. Because this is now the place we find ourselves in.
It’s two months to the day the parliament stood up as one and condemned Fraser Anning for his ‘final solution’ speech and vowed to do better.
We’re going to leave it here, but this will probably bleed into tomorrow. A big thank you to Mike Bowers, and the Guardian brains trust, for helping be my eyes, ears and so often brain across the day.
And, as always, the biggest thank you, to you, for reading, following along and letting us know what you think, even when we don’t agree. It’s been one of those days and will probably be one of those weeks, so prepare yourself.
So, again, take care of you, but also watch out for those who need a little extra care, both after the events of the day, and life in general.
We should all know the systematic advantages of being born white in this country, and the comparable systematic disadvantages of not being white. The parliament should know too.
And by more than three votes.
It’s showcase season in parliament. Tonight, it is Western Australia’s turn. Tomorrow, Tasmania.
Updated
I think they should have a good think about what it will take to win the election and a good think on what they have been spending their time on and whether it has been time well spent, Alex Turnbull says on what the Liberal party should do next (I am paraphasing).
“I have a zen state of indifference,” he says about the attacks against him on Twitter.
Updated
“It is okay to be whatever colour you are. I mean who cares ... but is that, again, really the best use of taxpayers’ money and time,” Alex Turnbull says on the ‘it’s OK to be white’ Senate motion the government supported, saying it is another example of “student politics”.
He calls the religious freedoms debate part of the “stuff which is dog-whistling” to the extremists and needs to stop.
He says that he doesn’t believe that anything he says or does has any bearing on his father’s legacy as prime minister.
Updated
On why Malcolm Turnbull dropped climate change as a key policy issue of the government when he led it, given his previous strong advocacy, Alex Turnbull said that any leader of a cabinet-style government has to make compromises.
@alexbhturnbull you forget that despite all the stacking, Daddy still needed conservative votes (incl monarchists) to get him over the line in his 2004 preselection battle against King! Suggest you stick to wealth management & stop acting the fool! #auspol
— C Fierravanti-Wells (@Senator_CFW) October 11, 2018
“If that is the best use of her time, funded by taxpayers, I would be very surprised,” he says on that tweet, adding that he is more than happy to argue policy and the merits of different arguments, not attacks like this.
Updated
Alex Turnbull is on Radio National and says he is “absolutely not” a proxy for his dad, Malcolm Turnbull, and has not sought permission from him to campaign against the Liberals “and I wouldn’t get it if I asked”.
He says he felt the need to intervene because of the Liberals’ energy policy – or lack of energy policy – and he is very worried about climate change.
“I thought they were making pretty good headway and it wouldn’t have been constructive at all,” he says on why he didn’t speak out earlier. He says the death of the Neg was the last straw for him.
“I think given the previous record of prime ministers being very vocal, it is probably a major improvement to have people disappear from public life when they are done with it,” he says on whether or not the elder Turnbull should be publicly backing Dave Sharma.
He says that he has come out “so strongly” because he saw what had happened in the United States, when people didn’t speak up when “culture wars” took precedence over policy discussions.
“I think it would be a more powerful message if they lost a seat which had previously been safe, so that maybe they would take a period of self-reflection,” he says on why he hopes the Liberal party loses.
“I think they need to reappraise what sort of policy mix they need to stay in government...I think they really need to stop playing student politics.”
Updated
You may have noticed below Labor plans on moving a motion regarding ending discrimination loopholes for non-government and religious schools, which includes teachers.
Greens LGBTI spokeswoman Janet Rice says she will be introducing legislation tomorrow on the same issue:
The Greens will be introducing a bill to the Senate tomorrow that would ensure that schools are discrimination-free communities for everyone – students, staff, families,” she said.
I’ll also be introducing a motion again to order the government to release the Ruddock review in full tomorrow. I tried already today, but the motion to bring on debate on the motion wasn’t supported by Labor.”
Updated
The list is below, but I just thought I would point out that Nigel Scullion, the minister for indigenous affairs since 2013, voted in support of the ‘it’s OK to be white’, as did Lucy Gichuhi, who was born in Kenya and made this speech, in response to Fraser Anning’s ‘final solution’ speech:
Today—and, precisely, last night—is a very sad day for me.
For me, I’m evidence that this is multiculturalism at work. But I keep wondering: how on earth do we have a public leader, with the status of senator, in Australia, in the First World not the Third World, use those kinds of words in a public forum?
What do we think is happening in kindy, in primary schools and at work today?
And yet we are the house that makes the law. I have been in this country for nearly 20 years—20 years in February.
I’ve gone through a lot of questions like, ‘Where do you come from originally?’ and that’s okay. I take it.
But it is in this Senate that my appearance provoked ‘Where do you come from?’
We all went through the citizenship issues, culminating with 15 or however many of us in the elections that we finished last weekend, so at what point are we going to say: ‘You are Australian. You are Australian, full stop, period, finished.’ I don’t have to be born here; all I have to do is hold that citizenship certificate.
Mine has been questioned so many times. I happen to be Briton. I happen to be Kenyan. I happen to be Australian.
That’s my history and, because Australia is Australia, because of the multicultural system it is, I find myself in the Senate.
Nobody put me here in the Senate except the High Court. Why? Because Australian systems work and they support multiculturalism.
What I’m asking the Senate, whether I’m here for a day, two days or longer, is to deal with this hard right, hard left.
What do you mean by hard right, hard left? I heard those words in this place. I grew up in a civilised society. Call it that or Third World, but it was civil enough to prepare me enough to serve Australia in this Senate.
I appeal to all our leaders—by all our leaders I mean Liberal, Labor, and everything. In that bipartisan state of affairs, can we deal with our own prejudices?
I don’t have to be asked where I came from. I know we are first generation or third generation.
And guess what? We still have issues to deal with First Australian generations.
Something has to rise up and do this and deal with it. We are the leaders. Senator Anning is a leader.
What happened to diversity training? What am I going to say to my daughter, trying to apply for a job, coming to me to saying, ‘Mum, I don’t think I can get this.’
I’m tired of that. It’s not going to work for Australia 2018. Take it or leave it.
It doesn’t matter who gets into power next; somebody has to deal with it. I’m Liberal party by choice. I’m here and I have to tiptoe about being a woman, about being black, because the hard right doesn’t like it. Hey; this is Australia. This is the First World. It’s not the Third World. Can we do leadership for the First World? Thank you.”
Updated
More on that Senate vote, which was defeated, on how it is OK to be white.
Again, we are not making this up:
Pauline Hanson:
I hope that the Senate does the reasonable thing today by supporting this motion. Anyone who pays attention to the news or spends any time on social media has to acknowledge that there has been a rise in anti-white racism and a rise in attacks on the very ideals of Western civilisation. I would also hope the Senate does the right thing and acknowledges that it is indeed okay to be white. Such a simple sentence should go without saying, but I suspect many members in this place would struggle to say it. People have a right to be proud of their cultural background, whether they are black, white or brindle. If we can’t agree on this, I think it’s safe to say anti-white racism is well and truly rife in our society.
Derryn Hinch:
With the federal election looming I’m starting to think that Senator Hanson and her former colleague Senator Anning are now locked in a race to see who can be the biggest, the loudest, racist bigot in their contest to see who can get to the bottom of the sewer first. That’s what this obscene motion is all about. It could have been written on a piece of toilet paper, which reminds me of that old story about a toilet cleaner. People were nicknamed Harpic because they would clean around the bend.
There are all sorts of things behind this latest stunt by Senator Hanson. She’s using this chamber as a conduit for her headline-grabbing stunts. Remember the burqa? Senator Hanson knew or knows that this motion will not pass, so she even pre-empted the Senate during the last session when this didn’t get up. Senator Hanson tweeted a very clever line, dreamed up by I imagine a giggling cohort in the backroom, her line about ‘it’s okay to be white’, and then went public with it before most of the senators in this chamber had even heard about it. She tweeted it and went on Sky that night and published it before it was even tabled here in the Senate. I would say this sort of racism is not only wrong, it could be dangerous— (he runs out of time)
Richard Di Natale:
It’s not just okay to be white in Australia, it’s actually a ticket to winning the lotto. It’s a ticket to winning the lotto. Just look around this chamber and see how many faces you see that aren’t white. Have a look in the privileged positions of Australian society, people who occupy these seats of the rich and powerful. How many of them are not white? Last time I checked it’s the privileged white Anglo community that are the ones occupying the seats of influence.
The reality is this ‘it’s okay to be white’ slogan has got a long history in the white supremacist movement where both these clowns get most of their material from. You know what it’s not okay to be in this country? It’s not okay to be Aboriginal, because you’re more likely to die younger, to be locked up. It’s not okay to be an African person, because you’re more likely to experience racism. It’s not okay to be a Muslim, because you’re more subject to— (he runs out of time)
Anne Ruston
The government condemns all forms of racism.”
The government then voted for the motion.
AYES
- Abetz, E
- Anning, F
- Bernardi, C
- Birmingham, SJ
- Brockman, S
- Bushby, DC (teller)
- Canavan, MJ
- Cash, MC
- Colbeck, R
- Duniam, J
- Fierravanti-Wells, C
- Fifield, MP
- Georgiou, P
- Gichuhi, LM
- Hanson, P
- Hume, J
- Leyonhjelm, DE
- McGrath, J
- McKenzie, B
- Molan, AJ
- O’Sullivan, B
- Reynolds, L
- Ruston, A
- Scullion, NG
- Seselja, Z
- Smith, DA
- Stoker, AJ
- Williams, JR
NOES
- Bilyk, CL
- Brown, CL
- Cameron, DN
- Carr, KJ
- Chisholm, A
- Collins, JMA
- Di Natale, R
- Farrell, D
- Faruqi, M
- Gallacher, AM
- Griff, S
- Hanson-Young, SC
- Hinch, D
- Keneally, KK
- Ketter, CR
- Kitching, K
- McCarthy, M
- McKim, NJ
- Moore, CM
- O’Neill, DM
- Patrick, RL
- Rice, J
- Siewert, R
- Singh, LM
- Smith, DPB
- Sterle, G
- Storer, TR
- Urquhart, AE (teller)
- Waters, LJ
- Watt, M
- Whish-Wilson, PS
PAIRS
- Cormann, M
- Wong, P
- Macdonald, ID
- Dodson, P
- Martin, S.L
- McAllister, J
- Paterson, J
- Steele-John, J
- Payne, MA
- Marshall, GM
- Pratt, LC
- Fawcett, DJ
- Sinodinos, A
- Polley, H
Brian Burston was not in the chamber.
Updated
An update on the Great Barrier Reef Foundation inquiry has dropped in from AAP:
A report on how an environmental charity received $444m in taxpayer funding without a proper tender process has been delayed for release until December.
The Senate’s environment committee is inquiring into how the small non-profit Great Barrier Reef Foundation received the grant.
The inquiry report was due to be released tomorrow but will now be handed down on 4 December, possibly following more public hearings and submissions.”
Updated
Labor has also given notice of the motion it intends to move tomorrow, with Penny Wong telling the chamber:
I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move that the Senate:
(1) Notes:
(a) Australia is a tolerant and accepting nation and discrimination against LGBTI Australians has no place in our national laws;
(b) The government has had the review into religious freedoms since May and has so far refused to release it so Australia can have a proper debate about these important issues;
(c) Repeated leaks over the last week have suggested that the review will recommend changes to exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation in relation to LGBTI students and staff;
(d) Many religious education institutions have made clear that they do not use, nor do they want, these exemptions; and
(e) These exemptions are out of step with the views and beliefs of most Australians.
(2) Calls on the government to:
(a) Immediately introduce legislation which would abolish the current exemptions that permit discrimination against LGBTI students and staff in religious schools; and
(b) Immediately release the review into religious freedoms so the Australian people can have a mature debate about how we can best balance protection of religious freedom with the rights of people to live free from discrimination, in compliance with the orders of the Senate of 19 and 20 September 2018.
Updated
Our Senate watcher has just informed us that One Nation was also meant to have the Matter of Public Importance on the TPP, but under Senate procedures when you make one of these motions you need at least four other senators to support it.
It seems like someone or someones missed the memo because, well, the support wasn’t there.
So the MPI is dropped and the Senate moves on.
Updated
And just what did the government vote for?
To move—that the Senate acknowledges: (a) the deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation; and (b) that it is okay to be white
Pauline Hanson tried to re-arrange the standing orders last week to bring on the debate, but they ran out of time. So it was delayed to now, and the Senate says: No.
David Leyonhjelm, Fraser Anning and Cory Bernardi voted with the government and One Nation
Updated
Government supports Hanson motion on 'anti-white racism'
The ‘It’s OK to be white’ Pauline Hanson motion has just been defeated – 31 to 28.
And the reason it even got that many votes is because the government voted for it.
Updated
The @AuSenate just passed this motion acknowledging International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, moved by me, @Malarndirri19 @janet_rice @JimMolan @Catbilyk & @senatorlucy pic.twitter.com/95aGxFLEQ1
— Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) October 15, 2018
I sort of wish I could make this a flip book.
Mike Bowers captures Scott Morrison listening to a dixer answer on the economy:
Updated
From Mike Bowers’ lens to your eyeballs:
TFW someone else claims the lead on the group assignment
Merit in action
Happy five year (and two days) anniversary
Mood
Updated
Well, well, well
Joining me on @RadioNational tonight is @alexbhturnbull #auspol
— PatriciaKarvelas (@PatsKarvelas) October 14, 2018
Scott Morrison puts us all out of our misery and ends question time.
He makes a statement on indulgence, welcoming Hazza and Megs to Australia, and Labor MPs yell out “bring on the republic”, which makes it a little awkward for Bill Shorten when he also stands to welcome the royals.
Updated
We are back to the zombie visa.
Cathy O’Toole:
Is the prime minister aware the National Farmers’ Federation said the industry has been calling for a dedicated agricultural visa for 12 months now. We have been talking to the government, evidently they have not been listening. Has the deputy prime minister raised any concerns with you, prime minister, about the government’s failure to deliver this visa?
Scott Morrison, who seems very annoyed at this point:
I will repeat it again. Our government believes that Australian jobs should go to Australians first. That is what we believe. And we believe that where jobs are available in rural and regional areas we must do everything we possibly can to put Australians in those jobs.
And where Australians who are on welfare refuse to take those jobs, then we do not believe they should be continuing to access welfare payments when they are ready and fit and able to do that work.
Now, Mr Speaker, as I just said in response to the previous question, we are moving to provide, where there is a defined shortage of labour, particularly for the upcoming harvest, we will be addressing that need with a working visa program, to ensure that the Pacific labour scheme and the seasonal worker scheme will be tailored to meet those shortages.
And we are very keen for the agricultural sector to work with us to identify very specifically, and we have asked the National Farmers’ and others to assist us with that task, to identify where those shortages are, and we will work together to address those shortages. In the long term, the visa arrangements that were proposed are ones that will be considered by the government. In the short term, we need to ensure we get the fruit off the vine, and that is what we are acting to do right now.
Updated
Joel Fitzgibbon to Scott Morrison:
It’s about the agriculture visa (RIP) and whether or not it is now a zombie.
On Saturday the prime minister confirmed the agriculture worker visa is dead, but today we heard, from the former leader of the Nationals, there is no such thing as dead in politics. Prime minister, is it that the visa is dead or is the former leader of the Nationals, or indeed leadership hopeful, correct when he says there is no such thing as dead in politics?
Morrison:
“The member for Hunter does a pretty good impersonation of the walking dead in politics. He has been languishing over there for I don’t know how long.”
Someone get the aloe vera because BUUUURRRRRNNNN (flame emoji, flame emoji, flame emoji).
Morrison repeats what we heard before – Australian jobs should go to Australians first etc, etc, etc – see the post at 14.53.
Updated
Peter Dutton is once again allowed to let you know how safe you are.
I’d say more, but the home affairs minister has made it very clear he believes the Guardian only ever gives 50% of the story when it comes to home affairs issues, and I would hate to disappoint.
Updated
Chris Bowen to Josh Frydenberg:
Earlier this month, the minister for education claimed, and I quote, the government has guaranteed preschool funding, but Page 32 of budget paper number three shows there is no funding for preschools after next year. Will the minister guarantee funding every for three-year-old in this year’s financial update?
Frydenberg:
A bit like when the member guaranteed four years of surpluses, Mr Speaker! You know we guarantee funding until 2019, you know that!
You know we had discussions with the states and territories, Mr Speaker.
You know when the leader of the opposition brought up and announced his early childhood spending proposals, he expected the states to do all the heavy lifting, Mr Speaker, because he hadn’t even got their agreement, Mr Speaker.
Didn’t even ask them, Mr Speaker. What he often says to this house is when we put more money into schools, when we put more money into our universities, into our early childhood, when we put more money into the pockets of Australians, we fund it, Mr Speaker.
We fund it. Because we’ve improved the health of the budget. We inherited growth and spending going around 4% per annum. We halved it to the lowest level in 50 years, Mr Speaker.
We’ve inherited $210bn worth of debt, Mr Speaker. We are bringing the budget back into balance, Mr Speaker. Only we will deliver better education outcomes.
There is a lot of yelling. A lot. Mostly about how the coalition has been in power for six years now.
Updated
Christopher Pyne gets a dixer from Trent Zimmerman and lets us all know it’s his 50th birthday.
Happy Trent Day. What a gift – getting to ask Pyne a question. That’s one for the pool room.
Updated
Graham Perrett has a question for Scott Morrison, about comments made by Andrew Laming.
Anyone who is not following Laming, should be. He takes some surprising positions at times – take from that what you will – but you could never accuse him of just trotting out the company line.
Does the Prime Minister agree with the Member for Bowman that his government is, and I quote, ‘yet to provide a compelling alternative to Labor’s plan to invest $14bn in public schools, a policy that would mean every child can get the best start in life’?
Morrison:
As the minister for education just explained, we’re investing almost $30bn extra in education, in state schools. We’re investing, Mr Speaker, in non-state schools, independent schools, Catholic schools.
We’re investing in record levels all around the country because we’re running a strong economy and a strong budget, Mr Speaker. The Labor party can make all the pie in the sky promises they like but the Australian people know that they can’t trust this leader of the Labor party to run a budget or run the economy and if you can’t run an economy and a budget, which the Labor party showed last time in office, then you can’t keep your promises when it comes to funding schools, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, our government will continue to provide parents with the choice they deserve, students with the education, Mr Speaker, that they deserved and we’ll continue to fund all schools at record levels.
Updated
There’s another dixer, but Scott Morrison does give us an update on the agriculture visa (RIP).
“I’m asked about other things we’re doing to support [farmers], Mr Speaker, the work that’s been done by farmers to get the fruit off the vine as we go into the harvest season.
We’ve said there’s three things we’re going to do.
Firstly, we want the agricultural producers to log their job requirements, Mr Speaker, with the official service, which registers this, Mr Speaker, which is, of course, the national harvest labour information service – 1800 062 322, you can do it online as well.
We need to know where the jobs are, when they start, how much they pay, Mr Speaker, so we can get Australians into those jobs and if Australians won’t be doing these jobs they will be in breach of their social security requirements.
They shouldn’t be eligible for the dole when there’s work available on farms and when there’s shortages we will make sure the Pacific labour scheme and the partner programs fill the gap.
We’ll make sure the backpacker visas will be modified, Mr Speaker, by the next harvest to fill that gap. We want to get the fruit off the vine next year, Mr Speaker.
The Labor Party wants to get people to turn up, pick up the dole, even when there’s work available, so they don’t have to work.
Updated
As a reader has just pointed out (it is a different view from the press gallery spots in the chamber) all the women have been removed from behind the despatch box on the government side.
Hiya @AmyRemeikis. Seems the govt has replaced the wimmins with old blokes behind despatch box. Out of sight... #qt @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/mcsP2f24rO
— The Matt Hatter (@hazmattsuit) October 15, 2018
When Ann Sudmalis announced she wouldn’t be recontesting the next election, she was moved away, and now John Alexander and Chris Crewther have pride of place behind the box.
Crewther is in a pretty big battle to keep his seat – he is on a margin of 1.43% and while JA is still OK in Bennelong, Kristina Keneally did manage to chip away at that margin, leaving him with around 5%
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
Last time we sat, we heard that all [education] funding deals will be completed within October, the Coag meeting which was cancelled. Is the reason that not a single state has signed a school funding deal for next year because the prime minister refuses to reveal his $4bn cut the public schools?
Morrison:
“No.”
Updated
Mark Dreyfus to Scott Morrison:
Given members of the prime minister’s government are already leaking large parts of the Ruddock review into religious freedoms, which the government has had for five months, why won’t the prime minister release it in full so the Australian people, including voters in Wentworth, can read the whole report and know what the government is planning to do? What is the prime minister hiding?
(While Dreyfus asks this question, Darren Chester makes a visit to the Labor side of the chamber, to see Kevin Hogan, the Nationals MP who went to sit with the crossbench after the leadership spill, but who still sits in the Nationals party room. It’s complicated. Think of it as the Clayton’s crossbench position.)
Morrison:
The answer to the question is nothing, Mr Speaker. Nothing.
As I said, the Ruddock review will be released with the government’s response, and I think that is the appropriate way for the response to be considered together with the report, so Australians can have a very clear understanding about what is being proposed.
And the government has been addressing, particularly over the last seven weeks, a range of other priorities which have included addressing the drought, the royal commission into aged care, ensuring that we brought forward cuts in taxes for small and family businesses.
On the weekend we announced $51.8 million extra for Headspace, we have announced another 30 MRI and other licences to ensure that those hospitals can have and be providing the services and support to Australians.
So we have been very focused on these priorities, it is true, and over that period of time, Mr Speaker, as prime minister, I first saw this report not long after I became prime minister, and these other matters which I have identified in the house have been my priorities. And once we have been able to address those priorities, we will be taking a government response through the normal cabinet process.
And when we have concluded that, we will release this report and seek to have a mature discussion with this chamber and the other chamber and the Australian people about protecting the religious freedoms, of which millions of Australians hold dear.
We won’t be bullied by the Labor party. We just simply hope, Mr Speaker, because I am quite sure that their constituents would also want to address this very important issue of religious freedom in a sober and mature way, Mr Speaker, not trying to play politics and point score on it, this fortnight.”
For the record, I only discuss religion while drunk.
Updated
Cathy McGowan has the crossbench question today. It’s about the children on Nauru. You may have read the story about the AMA calling for the children to be brought here for treatment amid reports of the trauma the children have experienced, given some of them have spent five years there.
My electorate of Indi expects the government to show compassion, justice and other such good things. There’s been problems with Nauru, reports of children withdrawing, unable to communicate and not eating. We have responsibility for the welfare of these children, we put them there. Prime minister, what would it take to act with compassion, mercy and justice to accept of the resettlement offer from New Zealand and have these children and their families off Nauru by Christmas?”
Scott Morrison:
My electorate expects our government to show compassion, mercy and justice. I believe every electorate... every constituency in this country expects that.
I must say, as both a shadow minister responsible for immigration and border protection, while I watched the carnage, the carnage, Mr Speaker, that happened under the previous government as people died, as immigration detention centres were open, that we closed, Mr Speaker, they expected us as a government to act with compassion, Mr Speaker, and we did and we stopped at the boats, Mr Speaker, that’s what we did.
Now we’re dealing with the legacy of Labor’s failure. And, Mr Speaker, I notice they get very agitated when I talk about this issue, and that’s what happens when you stare failure in the face, which is your record on immigration and border protection as an opposition today and when you were in government.
But to the very serious issues the member for Indi asks about, there are 65 health professionals contracted by the Australian government to provide health services on Nauru, and that includes 33 mental health professionals.
There’s one healthcare professional to every 11 transferees. Decisions about medical transfers are made on a case-by-case basis and a number of those have been made in recent times. 418 people have been resettled from Manus and Nauru to the United States, and I should note, as you should also know, and as we’ve discussed, transferees ... I’ll come to the issue you’ve raised, transferees are not in detention in Nauru, they are living freely in the community as now ruins.
You ask about the question with New Zealand. The advice I have from our agencies, and I’ve seen that advice and I’ve quizzed our officials on this advice, the advice of the government is people smugglers are marketing New Zealand as a destination, as a destination as a backdoor for Australia. You ask me what would need to happen. Well, Mr Speaker, we’ve introduced legislation into this place to prevent that backdoor movement of people into Australia from New Zealand and that legislation isn’t supported by those opposite, Mr Speaker. We would ask them to consider that.
The legislation has been sitting on the Senate notice paper up in the other place since 2016. It passed this chamber, it did not pass this chamber with the support of the Labor party or the crossbench. But until that backdoor is shut, Mr Speaker, these issues only run the risk of inviting more people to risk their lives at sea and having to stop the boats. Having stopped the boats, we’re not going to start them again, only the Labor Party would do that.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg takes a dixer on the economy and it is just as thrilling as his previous dixers on energy.
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
I ask the prime minister again, will the prime minister join with Labor to ensure teachers can’t be sacked because of who they are or who they love?”
Morrison (who is back to his shouty best)
Let me read the explanatory memorandum to Labor’s bill circulated by the then attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, in March, 2013.
The bill will extend the exemption of section 38 of the sexual discrimination act so that otherwise discriminatory conduct on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity will not be prohibited for educational institutions established for religious purpose.
Consequently, the bill will not alter the right to freedom of thought and it goes on, Mr Speaker, he says in his second reading speech, the bill also amends existing exemptions as appropriate to reflect the new grounds, including exemptions for religious bodies in relation to employment and the provision of education that have been in place for many years, Mr Speaker.
I said in answer to my earlier question that the issues raised will be in address to the response to the Ruddock review, and this fortnight I’ve asked to work together with the leader of the opposition to provide certainty for children and families, Mr Speaker.
I would say to the leader of the opposition, and I would say to the members opposite, that we don’t take kindly to be lectured on these issues when you created the laws which created the discrimination”
Tony Burke asks him to table the Ruddock review. Tony Smith says it was referenced, not used, and therefore does not have to be tabled.
Updated
Michael McCormack is delivering his dixer, so we can all take a moment to stare at a wall. Much like the back bench is doing.
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison:
This morning, when asked about laws which allow discrimination against LGBTI teachers, the treasurer said, and I quote, “I don’t think these laws are right, and I think we need to ensure there is no discrimination in either our workplaces or our schools.”
Does the prime minister agree with his treasurer? Will the prime minister join with Labor to ensure teachers can’t be sacked because of who they are or who they love?
Morrison:
I’m happy to table the letter I sent to the leader of the opposition today. I table that letter knowing that I believe it’s very important we act in this parliament over the next fortnight to deal with the unnecessary anxiety that’s been created for children and their parents in relation to potential discrimination and expulsion of students as a... On the basis of their sexuality.
We think that needs to be addressed and we think it needs to be addressed urgently, and I’ve written to the opposition leader in those terms and I’ve said there are many other issues that will be addressed as a result of the religious freedoms reviewed, and there will be a time and a place to address those issues.
They are important issues, but the issues we need to address right here and now relate to the children and ensuring we protect them against discrimination, and that we act in the area of absolute consensus, not just in this place, but beyond this place.
Because I know religious communities and schools also believe they should not be, and indeed they do not, discriminate against children on the basis of their sexuality in their schools.”
Morrison is interrupted by Tony Burke, who asks about relevance, given the question just asked was about teachers. The Speaker rules it in order and Morrison continues by saying the Philip Ruddock review into religious freedoms is very broad.
“Who would know,” yell Labor MPs.
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As we suffer through yet another dixer which should just be a press release, a small point – the government’s strongest line in Wentworth is a vote for anyone other than the Liberals risks a hung parliament, and therefore the government’s stability.
But if that does come to pass, and there is every chance that the Liberals could lose Wentworth, given the party itself is worried about it, then Scott Morrison has essentially written the end of the government.
The problem is over-egging the situation so much the government paints itself into a corner.
But we’ll all know for sure come Sunday.
We get into the questions:
Bill Shorten to Scott Morrison about......Wentworth. And also, Malcolm Turnbull.
The Prime Minister has complained that voting for anybody but the Liberals in Wentworth will destabilise his government. But didn’t this Prime Minister destabilise the government in the first place when he and his colleagues deposed Mr Turnbull?
Is government instability the only reason we are having the Wentworth by-election, and will the Prime Minister explain to the people of Wentworth why Malcolm Turnbull is no longer the Prime Minister of Australia?”
Morrison
Short version: your face is.
Long version:
I know who the Australian people do not want to be the Prime Minister – the Leader of the Opposition.
They don’t want him and they have had five years to have a good look at him, and they have rendered their verdict on him, Mr Speaker. When they make their judgment about who they think... Who they think should be the Prime Minister of this country, who they think should be managing the economy of this country, who should be looking out for Australian families about their costs of living, who they can trust to get taxes down, Mr Speaker, that is what the Australian people are making judgments about, Mr Speaker.
They have made their judgement on this Leader of the Opposition, and they know, after five years of looking at him hard and looking at everything he has said, on every flip-flop he has ever made, he is for small business, he is against small business, he is for small business, he is against small business, and he wonders why the Australian people don’t trust him and why small visitors in particular don’t trust him.
I tell you why we are cutting taxes for small businesses, Mr Speaker, because those on the side of the house know that small and family businesses are the backbone of our economy. That is why we do it. We believe in it. We don’t have to be dragged into it, we initiated.
We bring the bills into this parliament, and we say Australians deserve to keep more of what they earn. Our government is committed to a strong economy, a strong economy that guarantees the essential services that Australians rely on, that keeps Australians safe and keeps Australians together. And in this Wentworth by-election, in this Wentworth by-election, what I know people in Wentworth will be considering is how do you keep the economy strong?
How can you ensure that you have the certainty in this parliament to ensure that the policies that are going to continue to grow our economy can be passed and can be pursued? Because they can’t trust the Labor Party to do it, Mr Speaker, and as a majority party in this parliament, a majority Coalition, the Liberals together with the Nationals, bringing forward policies week after week that a driving our economy forward, we need to continue to do that as a majority government in this parliament.
And a vote for anyone other than Dave Sharma, the Liberal Party candidate in Wentworth, is a vote that would undermine that certainty and would undermine the strong economy that our government is delivering.
Bill Shorten adds his own comments on indulgence, on the anniversary of the West Gate Bridge tragedy.
Question time begins
Scott Morrison takes a moment to remember the West Gate Bridge disaster, which saw the loss of 35 workers, 48 years ago today.
The report into alleged interference in editorial matters by former chairman Justin Milne might leave many questions unanswered but it does confirm that media reporting after Michelle Guthrie was sacked was spot on.
Various leaks and reporting over a week revealed Milne had kept Guthrie busy with his suggestions about everything from political reporting to sketches on Tonightly.
The report confirms:
Milne did send an email to Guthrie “regarding Alberici and the termination of her employment”. “The excerpts of the email reflected in the media are accurate,” the report says.
Milne complained about Andrew Probyn in a “specific conversation” in which Guthrie says he used the words “to shoot him”.
But Milne “has no recollection” of using those words.
Milne did “express concern” about moving Hottest 100 away from Australia Day to the managing director and ABC executives and argued with Triple J management over it.
Milne also expressed “strong concern” over the language in Tonightly – and wanted to ensure the word “cunt” is never used on the ABC again.
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Labor senator Kimberley Kitching has given her own spin on Labor’s new policy to remove exemptions that allow discrimination by religious schools against gay staff.
In an interview on Sky, Kitching said she wants a bipartisan “discussion” on removing that discrimination law exemption, but that can’t take place until the government releases the full Ruddock review.
Kitching says that “no school is going to embrace the nastiness of discriminating against teachers” and that discrimination on the grounds of sexuality “is unnecessary”. So far so good, it sounds like she’s on the same page as Bill Shorten.
But Kitching then repeatedly references schools’ ability to set their own ethos, and employ people that “abide by the teachings” of that religion, drawing an analogy with the fact schools are not obliged to hire people from other faiths.
Asked if this means schools can turn away or sack gay teachers, Kitching replies that the fact a teacher is in a same-sex relationship is not a “public controversy” that would be known. At this point it’s all starting to sound a bit Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – teachers are allowed to be gay but not to let it be known that they are gay by, for example, having a visible partner of the same sex.
Kitching:
“Religious schools do currently have an exemption around being able to discriminate [in favour of] teachers who [reflect their ethos] ... [A school] can hire someone – currently... who is able to teach the ethos of the school. And that’s different to removing the discrimination around sexual orientation. We don’t need that discrimination.”
So it sounds like Kitching wants to give a red light to discrimination on sexuality, and a green light to positively selecting for characteristics in line with religious teaching, even if that ends up at the same destination.
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The MPs are starting to flow in, just as Nola Marino, wearing yellow and blue, congratulates the West Coast Eagles for ruining, I mean, winning the AFL grand final.
It’s still too soon for me #collingwoodforever
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Sarah Hanson-Young is also not ready to let the allegations of interference with the ABC drop:
The cloud that hangs over the independence of the ABC has come no closer to being cleared following the release of the Government’s departmental review today.
“The Department report raises more questions than answers about the issues plaguing the ABC. This review is a white-wash that attempts to save the Morrison Government from any scrutiny for the part it has played in the ABC’s leadership turmoil,” Greens media spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said in a statement.
“Today’s departmental review does not address the issues surrounding political interference between the Government, the ABC board and its leadership last month. This is not simply a tit for tat between the former Chair and Managing Director and must be investigated further.
“Without a Senate Inquiry into the political interference at the ABC, there is a cloud over our beloved public broadcaster’s future independence.
“The ABC staff, and the Australian people, deserve better than this blatant political interference. For the future of a strong public broadcaster, we need to get this right and the Senate needs to work together.”
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OK, we are in the downhill slide to question time...you know the drill!
Kerryn Phelps is giving an impassioned plea for children on Nauru and how she is working with the medical profession to make the case for their release from Nauru.
She’s made much of her record in convincing the former immigration minister Philip Ruddock to change course.
Phelps, a well-known local GP and campaigner on marriage equality, is running as an independent and hoping to attract small l Liberal voters who are disillusioned with the Liberal party.
She’s faced questions, however, on why she is preferencing the Liberals ahead of Labor on her how to vote.
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Doctors have delivered an open letter to Scott Morrison, signed by almost 6000 doctors, calling on the government to remove children from Nauru.
From the Kids Off Nauru statement:
Dr Paul Bauert said this advice has so far been ignored by the Morrison Government.
“I have reviewed many cases of these children myself, it is simply unconscionable that we are keeping these children and their families in a situation which we know is a critical threat to their health and wellbeing,” he said.
“The situation for children on Nauru is a humanitarian emergency requiring urgent intervention and removal of all these children and their families to medical treatment in Australia.”
Almost 100 children remain detained on Nauru, where they have been for more than five years. Some were born behind bars, and have spent their entire lives being referred to by a number, not their name.
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Dave Sharma has said he “shares that frustration of his electorate” of Wentworth over the infighting and the summary dismissal of its former member Malcolm Turnbull.
“I consider him a mentor and a friend and appalled at treatment meted out to him,” he said.
But he has told a Sydney Morning Herald Meet the Candidates Forum at Bondi Surf Life Saving Club that the choice was stability or instability: a one-seat majority or a hung parliament.
This is the first time that Dave Sharma has attended a community forum during the byelection campaign. His rivals have been to a number of community events, and faced questions on issues from climate change to the future of South Head.
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But the best thing Malcolm Turnbull can do for the party is send out a tweet from New York.
Independent @drkerrynphelps watches on as Liberal @DaveSharma says he was “appalled at the treatment of @TurnbullMalcolm... there’s definitely anger and frustration out there” #WentworthVotes #auspol @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/EfD8VRZeoc
— Brett Mason (@BrettMasonNews) October 15, 2018
The Wentworth candidates are at a forum this afternoon. Anne Davies is there and we’ll bring you updates as the questions are asked.
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I wasn’t going to put this in, because I despise rewarding lame popular culture references, but it is not going away. So here is Scott Morrison’s latest ‘don’t risk a hung parliament’ argument for Wentworth:
There are 29,000 small and family businesses in Wentworth. That is an electorate where there have been people putting their effort and their resources, putting their family homes, on the line to run the businesses that they have been creating in Wentworth and running over a lifetime through generations.
That is why they can trust us. I was talking to Johnny the chocolatier down in Rose Bay the other day.
A vibrant family business that has been there for several generations and he backs our plan for small and family business and he knows that he can trust us, like all the family businesses in Wentworth, because he knows that we believe it.
You never know what Labor is going to do on the other side of an election. They say all sorts of things. They have said things before, before Kevin Rudd got elected.
They said what he would do on national security and be an economic Conservative and you elect the guy and it all turns, it all changes. That is what people need to think about in Wentworth.
With the Liberal Party you know what you are going to get.
With the Labor Party you never know what you are going to get and with Independents you certainly don’t know what you are ever going to get.
It is like the good old box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get when it comes to voting Independent. We have seen that in this Parliament too often.”
For starters, Forrest Gump came out in 1994. Voters born in that year are now 24.
Secondly, they literally write on the box what sort of chocolate is what. They even have pictures. You know exactly what you are going to get.
Thirdly, could our politicians, for the love of all things Solange, update their references.
Thank you for listening to my TED talk.
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There was “no request or suggestion” from the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull or government ministers to sack any ABC journalists or staff, a departmental inquiry into editorial interference by the ABC board has found.
However, the government made it “very clear” in writing, messages and conversations that they had concerns about the ABC’s opinion, accuracy and editorial standards.
Former chairman Justin Milne and former managing director Michelle Guthrie told the inquiry they were in no doubt the matters complained of would affect future relationships and funding of the ABC.
Departmental secretary Mike Mrdak said the inquiry was very limited in scope and “very limited information” was provided to him by the ABC.
Mrdak confirmed all the incidents reported to in the media which led to the resignation of Milne, namely that he complained to Guthrie about Emma Alberici, Andrew Probyn, the Hottest 100 and the Tonightly sketch.
The report was tabled in the senate on Monday, the first of as many as five inquiries into the ABC.
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Scenes from the Senate
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Annnnnd the motion to suspend standing orders, to have the debate Derryn Hinch wanted has been defeated, 30 to 31.
The Senate moves on.
David Leyonhjelm is speaking on his bill to legalise cannabis.
This is what Derryn Hinch wants the Senate to talk about:
I move that the Senate
Acknowledges:
1. The recent partial release of the Ruddock Report into religious freedoms in Australia; and
2. In response, both the government and the opposition have now committed to repealing sections of the Sex Discrimination Act which allow independent schools to sack teachers and expel children on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Calls on the government to:
1. Work with the State and Territories to achieve consistency in antidiscrimination laws;
2. Withhold federal funding to any schools which engage in discrimination against teachers or students on the basis of sexual orientation; and
3. Deny charity tax concessions to any organisation or commission responsible for a school that engages in discrimination.
The debate is mostly bogged down on procedural stuff so far, because, well, it is the Senate and that is what they do. Take all the fun out of life and replace it with procedural motions.
Review findings by Communications Department Secretary Mike Mrdak finds on allegations of ABC interference and pressure, including on Andrew Probyn, Emma Alberici and the Hottest 100 #auspol pic.twitter.com/Rmyqlv9bgZ
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) October 14, 2018
Derryn Hinch is attempting to suspend standing orders in the Senate for his motion on religious discrimination. The government isn’t down with it, saying it does not want to debate the issue in this way.
Speaking of the weekend, Scott Morrison again led prayers at his church.
It is not unusual for community leaders to lead the prayer service – but it is still a rather new thing for Australians to see their prime minister do so. Morrison has made no secret of his faith, and started the year by saying he wanted to bring more of his Christian identity into his political life, by standing up for Christian ideals.
For anyone interested in what he had to say on Sunday, you can watch, here.
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Bill Shorten chalked up five years as opposition leader over the weekend.
Where does he sit on the leader board? You can find out here.
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Deborah O’Neill is delivering Labor’s response to Mitch Fifield’s statement (Penny Wong is speaking at a nuclear disarmament event).
We saw an attempt at another whitewash. This is a government that has constantly, constantly been in the mode of attack over our great institution, the ABC. I state again as minister, the shadow minister said over and over, the ABC belongs to the Australian people, it does not belong to the Liberal party.
What we saw in minister Fifield’s response today is that he declared it has been a difficult few weeks. He tried to make out it is a difficult few weeks for the ABC, but it has been a very difficult few weeks for this minister because what he is attempting this morning is to come in here and wipe the blood off his hands for all the damage he did to the ABC, cleaning up after the crime.
Platitudes fold his opening statement of his anxiety about this period in which he has failed as a minister of the crown. Platitudes about confidence in the ABC and confidence in its independence. This is a government that has attacked that great institution day in and day out. Reviews, after reviews, interference with appointments, the minister himself writing on multiple, multiple occasions complaining about the editorial nature of work that’s been undertaken by the ABC.
And then he went on his feet to go back to his usual standard line nothing to see here. Let’s be calm in response to this and let’s talk about the money we’ve invested in the ABC, well, the reality is they have not done well by the ABC, they have been subject to influence from those on the crossbench to attack the ABC and it’s something they are happy to do.
The minister in his statement declared that he has had a number of discussions with the chair of the ABC and also with the managing director, the former managing director, Ms Guthrie. I spoke to the chair. He spoke to the chair alright. He spoke to the chair on plenty of occasions and he spoke to the chair in such a way that the chair of the ABC walked away with the impression that he should sack, he should sack a reporter, a journalist.
He should sack a journalist because this minister had him so worried that there would be further attacks on the ABC if he didn’t respond. That is the level of political interference that we are seeing from this government and what we saw from the minister coming in here trying to explain away the incidents of late September here where we have seen an extraordinary attack on our national broadcaster, will simply not cut it.
I don’t have the benefit of having a minister’s speech in front of me to interrogate each of the nonsense points that he has gone through with, but the fact is he is here in denial of the reality that we know the ABC is completely under attack.
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Mitch Fifield has tabled a copy of his departmental secretary’s report into what went on in the ABC’s upper management and board in those last few months – we’ll bring you that when we get our hands on it.
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So what can we take away from the religious freedoms review?
Well, so far it has been a massive own-goal.
In attempting to expand religious freedoms, the hard right have inadvertently drawn attention to discriminations which already exist, and now that the public is looking at them, they’re not agreeing with it. And so, it looks like they’ll be removed.
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Labor to move to end discrimination against teachers in religious schools:
Bill Shorten on removing discrimination against teachers in religious schools:
As a father, I try to teach my children to treat everyone with respect, and to view everyone as equal.
I’m pleased both sides of politics are now united in the view that exemptions allowing religious schools to discriminate against children should be removed.
I believe we can use this goodwill to go further and remove the exemption that would allow a teacher or school staff member to be sacked or refused employment because of their sexual orientation.
In my discussions with religious educators, it’s clear this is not an exemption that they use or want to use.
These laws are no longer appropriate, if indeed they ever were appropriate.
It’s time our laws reflected the values we teach our children.
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Fifield:
I should acknowledge that I had a professional relationship with both the former chair and the former managing director. And I’ve always respected the legislated independence of the ABC and its board and management.
As a consequence of the ABC’s unique legislated standing, and independence within my portfolio, I have not engaged with the chairs or managing directors of the ABC as frequently or as closely as is the case with other portfolio bodies, but I want to be clear and transparent about those occasions that related to recent matters.
The then chair spoke to me in Canberra on 12 September to advice that the board no longer believed the managing director was best placed to lead the organisation. He further advised that he would be conveying this to the managing director on behalf of the board the following day. Although not sure where this matter would land, I hoped that an agreeable path could be found. I indicated to the chair that I respected the managing director’s position and was under the legislation a matter for the board.
Given the uncertainty as to how this would conclude and out of respect for the privacy of the managing director, I undertook not to convey that information at that time. The former chair undertook to keep me appraised.
The chair advised that discussions with the managing director were ongoing. No further detail was provided. The former chair made contact with me on the evening, Sunday, 23 September to advise the board had met and resolved to terminate the [contract] of the managing director the following morning. Afterwards, I advised the prime minister.
I should reiterate that the ABC board has legislated independence in management appointments and this decision was entirely a matter for the board of the ABC. This independence and the right of the board was recognised by me in a statement on Monday, 24 September, but also by the shadow minister on the same day where she said, “Labor acknowledges the independent decision of the board in relation to the departure of Michelle Guthrie as managing director.”
On 26 September, the Sydney Morning Herald reported there had allegedly been an email. This report raised questions in relation to the independence of the ABC. In the course of the day, I met with the prime minister where I proposed and it was agreed that the secretary of Department of Communications would undertake an inquiry to establish the facts.
Subsequent media reports regarding Mr [Andrew] Probyn fell within the per view of the secretary’s inquiry. Let me be clear: prior to these media reports, I was not aware of the allegations of encounters between the former managing director and the former chair in relation to staffing matters. It is indicated by a statement on 26 September, and in a door stop the following day, I have never in any way, shape or form sought to involve myself in staffing matters, nor am I aware of any current or former member of the government seeking to do so.
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Mitch Fifield is giving the timeline of events which happened regarding the sacking of Michelle Guthrie as managing director, as he knows it, including that the board wanted to remove her on 12 September, which is about two weeks before it happened.
He says he was unaware of the allegations of editorial interference until Fairfax broke the story.
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Looks like Labor has landed on a position when it comes to discrimination against teachers in religious schools.
Breaking: OL @billshortenmp moves to remove laws that would allow religious schools to discriminate against gay teachers. Statement to come. @SkyNewsAust
— Laura Jayes (@ljayes) October 14, 2018
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Mitch Fifield denies government vendetta against ABC
The communications minister is making a statement to the Senate denying that the government has it in for the ABC.
The Senate president Scott Ryan is giving the chamber an update on the seizure of documents in the Home Affairs search.
Louise Pratt claimed the documents seized are protected under parliamentary privilege.
He says the Senate is considering whether or not the privilege claim will be upheld. That’s the job of the privileges committee.
The clerk of the Senate is currently holding the documents. If the documents are found to be privileged, they cannot be used in the AFP investigation into the au pair leaks.
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The bells have rung and parliament has officially begun.
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Scott Morrison was out early this morning, talking small business and just how terrible Labor is.
I am not sure what is going on in that cafe, but that is a hell of a lot of headache medication.
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Good news kiddies! Ray Hadley just wants you to know that the ostracisation and things which happened when he went to school in the 60s and 70s to students who were struggling over things like sexual identity don’t happen any more, as students today are a lot more accepting.
“Well said,” says Tony Abbott.
Obviously both of these middle-aged men are very across what is happening in our schools and youth communities, and know exactly what it must be like to be a trans student, or working out identity, or all of those things and they prove it every single day.
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It begins:
Good morning all and welcome to Monday! The #Senate meets today at 10am. Our order of business is available on ParlWork https://t.co/W0mvG4D8zj
— Australian Senate (@AuSenate) October 14, 2018
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was interviewed on the ABC’s radio national this morning.
He was asked about the government’s plan to legislate this week to ban religious schools from expelling gay students (following last week’s furore over the leaked religious freedom report), and about Labor’s point that consideration should also be given to prohibiting schools from expelling gay teachers.
Frydenberg said there will be negotiations on the legislation this week, but he didn’t think there should be any discrimination, and the current laws weren’t right.
“I don’t think there’s any room for discrimination, be it [against] a student or against a teacher,” he said.
“But that being said, we need to work through this process with the Labor party and ensure that we provide a bipartisan front to the country.
“I don’t think these laws are right. And I do think we need to ensure that there is no discrimination in either our workplaces or in our schools. That’s my feeling,” he said.
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“The one thing I would like to see from Malcolm, this week, is a tweet from New York endorsing Dave Sharma,” says Tony Abbott to Ray Hadley.
“... I reckon he owes it to the party to give Dave Sharma a solid, personal endorsement this week in particular”
Congratulations from Lucy and me to @DaveSharma - new Liberal candidate for Wentworth. As a diplomat Dave has represented Australia magnificently overseas, and now if elected will make a great contribution in our national parliament.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) September 13, 2018
The hilarious thing about this, is that Sharma is Turnbull’s candidate. You may remember the hoo-ha which surrounded the sudden elevation of Sharma as favourite, after Andrew Bragg pulled out. Cos, neither were a woman. Remember?
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The Greens are calling on Labor to change its mind over the TPP:
The dodgy TPP deal was designed by corporations, for corporations. It is baffling to Australian workers, and the broader community, that the Labor party has abandoned its base, and unions, to give this toxic trade deal the green light,” Greens trade spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said in a statement.
“Labor has an opportunity to say no to the TPP-enabling legislation and back withdrawing from the agreement. Labor is trying to walk both sides of the street on the TPP. We can only address the TPP’s failures of ISDS provisions and weak labour market testing before the deal is ratified. It is not too late for Labor to do the right thing.
“It would be a gross affront to our sovereignty to allow a piece of legislation that gives corporations the right to sue us for, among other things, strengthening environmental law or developing sound policy to arrest climate change in the wake of the UN’s harrowing report.”
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership deal legislation is due to hit the parliament this week. Labor has given its support, despite the discomfort from almost half the caucus.
Jim Chalmers told ABC he shared “some of those concerns”, but Labor is banking on being able to “fix” the bits it doesn’t like, if it wins the next election.
I think across the board we have said for sometime now that there are issues in this agreement around labour market testing for the local workforce and also some of the legal arrangements, we have made an on balance call.
We have said that we want to get the benefits for our farmers and our businesses and the broader economy, but we also want to fix the mistakes that the Liberal party has made in negotiating that deal. We share the concerns that some of the unions have raised about the deal in particular and we will go out of our way to do whatever we can to make those aspects of the deal better in government by fixing it as the New Zealanders have done and others have done. That’s our intention.
Which of course raises the question – what happens if Labor doesn’t win the next election?
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It’s also poll day, and surprise surprise, not a lot has changed.
As Katharine Murphy reports:
The Coalition’s political fortunes remain in the doldrums seven weeks on from the conservative-led coup against Malcolm Turnbull, with two new opinion polls indicating that Labor would comfortably win any election held today.
With federal parliament resuming on Monday, both the Newspoll and the Ipsos polls published on Sunday night have Labor well in front of the government on the two-party-preferred measure, 53% to 47% and 55% to 45%.
Those results are consistent with the last two Guardian Essential polls, where Labor was ahead 53% to 47%.”
But just for something a little new, the public is ahead of our politicians on an issue. Fairfax’s David Crowe reports:
A special Fairfax-Ipsos survey finds that 74% of voters oppose laws to allow religious schools to select students and teachers based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.
The laws are opposed by 62% of Coalition supporters, 81% of Labor voters, 92% Greens voters and 51% of respondents who back Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
Only 30% of Coalition supporters back the right of religious schools to discriminate against gay students and teachers, as Mr Morrison prepares to take his plan to a party room meeting on Tuesday.
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We mentioned last sitting that Barnaby Joyce had decided his time in political purgatory was over, whether his colleagues were ready for it or not – and he’s not being shy about it.
News Corp’s Sunday political editor, Annika Smethurst, wrote a column yesterday saying that not a single member of the Nationals party room could rule out Joyce making a move to take back the leadership, which follows with what we’ve been hearing.
He doesn’t have the numbers yet, but you may have noticed that Scott Morrison has taken the lead on a number of traditional Nationals issues – the drought, for one, and decentralisation, for another. That’s because a lot of Liberals don’t believe enough is being done by their Coalition colleagues to own those issues, at a national level.
The drought isn’t new – Queensland is coming up on eight years – but suddenly it’s all everyone is talking about, at a political level. There is a reason for that.
But Joyce has obviously decided he is going to take back some agency and was in the Australian this morning saying the Snowy 2.0 hydro project, which was Malcolm Turnbull’s favourite reason for hi-vis, should be scrapped, in favour of more investment in coal.
This comes after the government all but dismissed the IPCC report into climate change, which found that we need to get our emissions down to zero, and soon, if we are to save those little things like coral reefs and life as we know it.
Long live the energy wars.
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Good morning
It’s the week before the Wentworth byelection and one of just three joint sittings left this year.
So of course we are talking about all the things we have spent the last year talking about – polls, energy and equality.
Yup, it is Groundhog Day in Australian politics and the particular time loop we are stuck in has Barnaby Joyce calling for coal as our saviour and our politicians deciding who should and shouldn’t be discriminated against.
Fun. Times.
And in the midst of all of that, we have the Coalition looking for silver linings in the polls – a slight improvement is the equivalent of finding Atlantis these days – and the preferred prime minister measure is still being used as a life raft, even though we vote for parties, not leaders.
It’s going to be a long week.
Mike Bowers has already been out and about – he went out to watch Scott Morrison make a coffee this morning, because small business something-something. I’ll bring you that, and more from the man with the camera very soon. You can follow him at @mpbowers and @mikepbowers.
Katharine Murphy is back after a week’s leave and is already toiling away, and the rest of the Guardian’s brains trust will also be dropping by, so keep an eye out for that.
I’ll be in the comments, as well as @amyremeikis and @pyjamapolitics.
I’m on coffee number two and I can tell already that number will increase.
So ready? Let’s get into it
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